Islamabad - Multiple ownership and occupancy of the city buildings has been a hurdle in implementation of the bylaws, as the authorities found no one willing to take responsibility and spend money on life saving equipment, said the officials in CDA on Wednesday.
According to the documents available with The Nation, the Emergency and Disaster Management Directorate has been facing problems in implementing the building bylaws especially having multiple owners and occupants.
The directorate has written a letter to the Building Control Section (BCS) that manifold ownership/occupancy is a barrier towards overall implementation of Fire Prevention and Life Safety Regulations, as nobody takes responsibility for installation of life-saving equipment in the buildings.
Owner of such shops/apartments etc are confined to their limited place of work stating their own limitations as owners/occupants.
The directorate has referred the issue to BCS for its resolution. It said the matter requires technical consolidation and advice so as to deal with all such cases. The directorate has warned that the government, commercial, business, industrial buildings are highly vulnerable to fire incidents and the directorate requires instantaneous guide map from the BCS also.
Meanwhile, Mayor Islamabad and Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) Sheikh Anser Aziz has said that implementation of Islamabad Fire Prevention and Life Safety Regulations—2010 would be ensured. He said that consolidated steps are being taken to upgrade and strengthen Emergency and Disaster Management Directorate of Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad.
The mayor expressed these views while chairing a meeting held at CDA Headquarters. The meeting was attended by senior officers of MCI and CDA. The meeting reviewed performance of EDM Directorate.
On this occasion, the mayor was apprised that during the period from April 2011 to August 2017, 585 occupancies of Southern Region and 676 occupancies of Northern Region were inspected to check safety measures under the Islamabad Fire Prevention and Life Safety Regulations—2010. The meeting was apprised that during the above said period, 1261 occupancies were inspected to check safety measures under the Islamabad Fire Prevention Regulations.
The meeting was also apprised that occupancies which were visited during the said period include 129 residential, 64 educational, 26 institute, 77 assembly, 344 business, 133 mercantile, 337 industries and 109 storage, 35 hazardous and seven mixed occupancies. It was also informed that 159 government buildings and 1102 private occupancies were inspected during the above-said period.
The mayor has directed the concerned officers to ensure latest training of officers and technical staff of EDM at local and international levels so that they could be equipped with modern technical knowledge of how to control the situation in an emergency.
tahir niaz